Masquerade
by GhedahrianVampress
Summary: "You must abandon your old ways, and try something new. Otherwise, you shall have neither prize." After receiving such strange advice, Gyendal decides to change strategies, and try luring Mel to him instead of forcing her. However, little does he know of the unforeseen turn of events that are to come as a result of his Masquerade.
1. Chapter 1

Gyendal had never felt so weak and pathetic in all the eight-hundred-and-thirty-two years that he had been alive. Not only had he been turned into a human, the very race that he had thought so despicable that he had tried to enslave, but now he found himself having to walk, talk, and act like a human. He hated every minute of it, but he had no choice. It was the only way to get to the Darkthrop Whelp.

The idea had come to him in a rather peculiar way. He had been visited by a strange specter like girl in the forest, who advised him to change his method and warned him that he would never obtain her if he did not. At first, he refused to trust her, for she looked unnervingly familiar to him, yet he couldn't seem to figure out who she was. However, as he began to consider what she had said, he realized that she was right, and that he might be more successful if he tried to earn her trust and lured her in that way.

The only problem was that he had no idea how to act like a human, having been a vampire for far too long. So, he had spent some time lurking about in the dark alleys of Peliad, observing young human men and how they behaved. Once he had learned the basics, he cast a spell on himself, changing his appearance to fit that of a handsome young thief and went to put his plan into action.

And so, he now found himself browsing through an expensive quill shop, waiting for Mel to appear. He had never been a patient man to begin with, so waiting was not an easy task for him. It did not help that the shopkeeper was basically looking down on him, claiming that his quills were far too expensive for him to afford. Gyendal rolled his eyes at the old man. If only the fool knew who he was talking too. He was sorely tempted to reveal himself and blast the man into a wall, but he refrained from doing so as he suddenly heard the door open.

Glancing over towards the door, he caught a brief glimpse of her walking in before he was forced to retract his gaze. He kept his head down, as he pretended to examine all the different Quill's on display, but he kept a close eye on the Darkthrop Whelp, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"Excuse me, but how much for this quill?" Mel asked the shop owner.

The old man looked her up and down, his face full of scorn as he saw how grubby her clothes were. "I'm sorry, miss, but the quill's in my store are dreadfully expensive. Well beyond your means, I'm sure."

Gyendal could see that shopkeeper was treating her exactly the same way he had treated him. In the shopkeeper's eyes, they were simply a couple of worthless street urchins, and for some reason that made Gyendal think. Why was this shopkeeper looking down on members of his own species? As much as he loathed the idea of identifying himself as a human, he couldn't exactly continue referring to himself as a vampire. Regardless, he was still confused by the man's behavior. When it came right down to it, him and Mel weren't much different from the shopkeeper, aside from the fact that he was clearly dressed better.

He quickly shook that from his mind, casting it off as insignificant, as he returned to task at hand. Seeing that the shopkeeper was clearly not going to let Mel purchase one of his quills, and appeared to be quite distracted by her, Gyendal slipped one of the quill's into his pocket and quickly snuck out of the shop before anyone could notice, leaving the two to their argument.

Ducking back into one of the alleyways, he watched and waited for Mel to come back out, and fortunately for him, he didn't have to wait long. He soon heard the door of the shop slam shut, and a few moments later, Mel came storming past, cursing the shopkeeper to the other side of the moon and back. He couldn't help but chuckle as he heard all the different insults she came up with. She certainly was creative, he would give her that.

Gyendal sprung into action, scurrying out of the alley, he went around the back of the post office and was able to catch up with her on the other side. As he walked up to her, he had to repeatedly remind himself to be charming to her. He couldn't address her as the Darkthrop Whelp, or give her any reason to suspect who he truly was. He had to be convincing for his plan to work out the way he wanted.

"Excuse me, miss, but I happened to notice how rude that old man was to you in the quill shop," Gyendal said, feigning sympathy. "It wasn't right of him to treat you that way."

Mel glanced over at him, stopping dead in her tracks. Her eyes revealed that she did recognize him, probably from the shop. "Maybe not, but I'm used to it. I've been treated that way my whole life," she replied.

Gyendal was tempted to ask her why that was the case, but he held back, figuring that it might be uncharacteristic of him. After all, he was impersonating someone who was supposed to be just like Mel. He was probably supposed to understand why it was that she was treated that way. So, he simply nodded his head, not knowing what else to do.

Pulling the stolen quill out of his pocket, he reached out and presented it to her. "Anyway, I stole this for you," he said. "It might not be exactly the one you wanted, but it's better than nothing."

Her pale, dirt-smudged face lit up with surprise. It took her a few moments to accept the gift, as she appeared to be hesitant, but she eventually did. "Thanks, it might sound strange to some people, but I actually like stolen gifts. Although, I usually prefer food."

"I'll have to remember that," he said, making a mental note of it in the back of his mind.

Fortunately for him, he already had some idea of what her favorite foods were. It seemed that spending so much time spying on her through the purple haired moth had come in useful after all, even if that plan of his had failed miserably. After all, it had resulted in him loosing his immortality. He wasn't the proudest of that one.

"Anyway, I'm Mel," she said, extending her hand to him.

Gyendal reluctantly took her hand in what the humans called a handshake. It seemed like a pointless gesture to him, but he went along with it for the sake of the charade. "I'm ... Spook."

Mel raised an eyebrow at him. "That's an interesting name," she remarked.

Gyendal mentally chastised himself. Of course it was a weird name to her! He knew that he should have picked something more normal, instead of choosing the name of one of Te'ijal's old house ghosts! He thanked the Goddess that his sister wasn't currently traveling with Mel. She would have caught on to the reference right away and blown his cover.

"Y-Yes, well I chose it myself," he made up an excuse. "I didn't exactly like the name the orphanage gave me."

Mel laughed. "Don't worry about it," she assured him. "I'm not exactly happy with the name I was given either. That's why I shortened it."

Gyendal was actually surprised by that. He hadn't known that Mel was only a shortened version of her actual name. He was a bit tempted to ask her what her full name was, but decided not to, figuring that it didn't matter. The only thing that did matter was that she was a Darkthrop, and held the key to accomplishing his ultimate goal.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Mel, but I should get going," Gyendal excused himself. "Try not to get into too much trouble."

Mel rolled her eyes. "I think that's pretty much impossible for someone like me."

Gyendal chuckled. "I believe you."

Then with a polite nod of the head, Gyendal backed away and retreated into the shadows, watching Mel for a moment as she hurried on her way back towards the library, where her friends were surely waiting for her. He smirked. His newest plan might not be the easiest, but he got the feeling that it might actually work. Mel seemed to fall for his masquerade well enough. Obviously it would take some more time and effort to gain her full trust, but it was a good start.


	2. Chapter 2

Mel took a deep, calming breath as she stood outside the local Tavern in Peliad, trying to psych herself up to go inside. She didn't get nervous that often, mostly just before a big battle, but those situations seemed to pale in comparison to this. What stood before her was much more daunting in her eyes. You see, she was about to go on what she considered to be her first ever date.

Yes, you heard correctly. Mel Darkthrop had never been out on a date before. Sure, Edward had invited her to have dinner with him and his friends at the Boar's Head Tavern a couple of times, but she never considered those dates, mostly because she had never held any romantic feelings towards the prince. However, this time it was a completely different story.

It had only been a few weeks since she met Spook, but despite that, she had quickly formed a close bond with him. They had run into each other in town a couple of times, giving them the opportunity to get to know each other a bit better. He helped her and her friends find the animal village of Harakauna, and told her where to go to find a beanstalk. Somewhere along the line he ended up asking her if she would want to meet him at the tavern for a drink sometime. She didn't exactly remember how it had all happened, mostly because she was shocked by it.

Mel was reluctant at first, not because she didn't want to accept, but because she felt like she shouldn't be wasting time when she had a quest to complete. Should she really be focusing on herself when there a dangerous orb to be found, and Gyendal was on the loose? She didn't want to seem selfish, but the truth was that she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him ever since their first meeting. There was just something so attractive about him. She had never felt the way she did before, and although she would never admit it out loud, she was frightened by her feelings.

Yes, he was handsome, but looks had never really been of concern to her. Aside from that, He was intelligent, and knew a lot about a lot of different things, despite the fact that he was an orphan and a thief. He was definitely sneaky, and cunning as well, and she had always liked those traits. Perhaps that was just because she used to be a thief as well. He was also quite charming, but not unpleasantly so, like many other men she had met in the past. Edward obviously being one of them.

Finally, there seemed to be something dark and mysterious about him, and that piqued her interest. She had always been drawn to things that were dark and mysterious. It wasn't exactly a good trait to have, for it was that exact trait that had put the world in danger. It was that exact trait that had caused her to give the orb to Gyendal, who was the very embodiment of dark and mysterious. It was because of that one mistake that she was hesitant whether to trust someone like that.

Eventually, they came to a point in their quest that left them unsure of what to do next. The Stonetooth Cave System was filled with locks, traps and puzzles, proving that her evil ancestor had gone to great lengths to ensure that no one would find his most dangerous creation; The Orb of Death. They had recently come across a lion statue that shot lasers out of its eyes, destroying anything in its path. They all knew that the orb was probably somewhere through the passage behind it, but none of them were willing to risk their lives by trying to pass through.

Mel had a feeling that Spook might know what to do, and so with a bit of prompting from Yvette and June, Mel finally accepted the offer to meet him for a drink. They managed to get her to wash her face and put on some clean clothes for the occasion, but that was the extent of it. Luckily for her, they didn't even attempt to get her into a dress, which she was grateful for. By now everyone in the group knew that Mel hated dresses.

"Here goes nothing," Mel said to herself, as she finally pulled open the tavern door and stepped inside.

It didn't take her long to spot the shaggy black haired thief, who was seated at the bar with his back to the door. Looking around, she was surprised to find that it was actually quite empty. Aside from Spook and herself, the only other customers were a group of three men, who were sitting at a table in the corner, playing a game of cards. She found this peculiar, seeing as the place had been packed the first time she came in to look for clues on the Orb of Death's whereabouts.

"Where is everyone today?" Mel asked, walking up to the bar and taking a seat next to Spook. "It's usually bust at this time of day."

Spook took a swig of his ale before turning to face her. "I'm not entirely sure, but I think they might be in the town square. I saw a bunch of people assembled out there earlier."

Mel nodded her head in understanding. That would definitely explain the lack of customers. June had told her earlier that there was a group of travelers who came every few months to share pieces of news from the places they had visited. Edward had mentioned that he might go with June to listen in. He was curious to know how Lydia was managing while he was gone.

"I'm glad you decided to accept my offer, Mel," Spook added. "I haven't seen you around town much lately. Have you found what you were looking for yet?"

Mel shook her head. "We're close, but we've reached another road block."

At that, Spook began to chuckle. "Let me guess, you want my help again."

"Maybe, but first I want to relax for a bit and have a drink with you."

He smirked, obviously pleased to hear that. As they waited for their drinks, they talked for a while. Spook told her about some of the places he had visited, and explained that there wasn't always enough work for him in Peliad, and so he would often go work in different towns. Mel understood why he did that. After all, the town was full of thieves. She knew all too well how competitive thieves could be.

Over the course of an hour, the two of them managed to consume three tankards of ale each. However, they both seemed to hold their own well enough. It was clear to see that neither of them were strangers to alcohol. Mel could honestly say that she couldn't remember ever getting so drunk that it affected her terribly. It made her feel a bit more confident and bold, but she never noticed any other side effects.

"So, how can I be of assistance to you this time?" Spook asked, throwing a money bag on the counter to pay for his and Mel's drinks.

Mel told him about the lion statue and how it was blocking their way, and she noticed that he seemed to recognize the description. "Have you heard of it? Do you have an idea as to how we can disable it?"

He nodded his head. "People used to use them to protect things like underground vaults and tombs a long time ago. They're not common anymore, but I have dealt with them before."

"Does that mean you'll help me?" Mel asked.

"For a price," he replied.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "And what is it that you want?"

His lips curled up into a mischievous smirk, "You."

Mel's eyes widened when she heard that. She didn't know exactly what he meant by that, but she could only imagine that he meant it in the romantic sense. She wasn't entirely sure if she was ready to be in a relationship of any sort, but she did like Spook a lot, and felt that maybe she could be persuaded with a bit of time.

"I don't think I'm ready to give myself completely over to you just yet, but I can give you something else," she said.

Then, before he could say anything else, Mel grabbed him by the tunic, pulling his head down to her level before capturing his lips in a bold yet passionate kiss. She felt him become rigid with shock at the sudden gesture, but it only lasted for a few moments before he regained the ability to move. In the blink of an eye, he had wrapped his arms firmly around her waist, pulling her into him.

Mel had never kissed a man before, but she had observed many couples over the years. A part of her had been curious, but at the same time a part of her had also been grossed out by it. As you can imagine, she thought the idea of exchanging saliva with someone was disgusting as a child. However, now that she was grown up, and had someone that she actually wanted to kiss, she could finally understand why couples loved doing it so much. It was a particularly pleasing experience.

The kiss made her realize a few things. First of all, she realized that she wanted him, even if she wasn't quite willing to admit it out loud yet. Second of all, she realized that Spook was much stronger than he looked. In fact, he was so strong that his grip on her waist was starting to hurt a bit. However, she made no attempt to break away from him. Third of all, she realized that the alcohol might have affected her a bit more than she thought. Heaven knows she would have never made such a bold move otherwise.

Eventually the two of them did pull apart to let their lungs refill with air, and as they stood there, gasping for breath, they looked into each other's eyes, and at that moment, both of them knew that their lives would never be the same.


	3. Chapter 3

Gyendal had been traveling with Mel and her party for a week and a half now, and although he found it difficult to remain in character at times, he managed to resist the dark impulses that appeared every now and then. More often than none he was tempted to strangle the Pendragon Brat, who was, by far, the most annoying out of all Mel's friends. As far as he was concerned, the brat was useless and did little to help them on their quest. Mel hadn't even wanted him to join the party, but as usual, he was relentless, claiming that Mel wasn't capable of protecting herself.

The rest of Mel's friends weren't quite as bad. Gyendal actually found some of them to be rather amusing. Yvette reminded him a bit of his sister, at least when it came to her strange sense of fun. June could be a bit irritating at times, but she could be funny as well. She had a tendency of casting a poison spell on all those who doubted her abilities. It was hilarious because she didn't know how to reverse the spell, and so her victims would be left in a state of panic as they rushed off to find some Marsh Tea.

They had just recently returned from the city of Acropolis, where they had bribed a mermaid into giving them her mirror with a bowl of fruit salad, which had strangely enough been prepared by a mouse. Gyendal didn't even try to understand the logic behind that. It had been a strange journey for sure, but it wasn't entirely worthless. He had been able to spend some time alone with Mel, without any interruptions from her friends.

He had stolen a piece of mushroom pie for her from the Tyobi Royal Kitchen, which was where the mouse chef worked, and he had found her a rat tail, which he knew she loved from previous research. The two of them even managed to have a bit of fun in Acropolis, messing with a bust of Hercules that was being made. Hercules might not have been human, but Gyendal liked to think of him as one. Needless to say he had come to understand why it was that Mel hated him so much. Hercules was one of the most selfish and superficial beings he had ever met.

All things considered, Gyendal's plan was going exactly as planned. In fact, it was probably going better than planned. He was still shocked by how their so-called date at the tavern had turned out. Yes, a part of him had intended to gain Mel's affections, for trust seemed to come easily with it, but he had to admit that he wasn't prepared for Mel to actually kiss him. He never thought it would go that far.

He wasn't quite sure what to think of it. There were many Vampress's in Ghed'ahre who fancied him, but they were always too intimidated to approach him. He remembered that Te'ijal had once come to him, complaining about how they were all asking her if he was single. He had thought it was amusing at the time, but never paid much attention to the issue.

As pathetic as it may sound, the truth was that Gyendal had absolutely no experience with romance. That's right. Gyendal Ravenfoot was an eight-hundred-and-thirty-two year old virgin who had never been in love. His sister had often teased him about it. Finding love had never been a priority to him, for he had always had more important things to focus his attention on. Namely, his focus had been primarily on his own goals and ambitions.

Oddly enough, he now found himself contemplating the idea of settling down. He was human now, meaning that he would not live forever as he once had as a vampire. Did he really want to spend the remainder of his years alone, chasing after power? Quickly he shook those thoughts from his mind, trying to figure out where they had come from. He couldn't help but feel as though he was slowly becoming more and more human, and he hated it.

From the very beginning, Gyendal had planned on having himself turned again, not wanting to grow old and vanish in the blink of an eye. He wanted to live forever, making his name known to the world. He wanted to free the vampires from the rule of humans, who were so cruel that they oppressed even the less fortunate members of their kind. However, a part of him felt that maybe it wouldn't be so bad to spend a bit more time as a human. He figured that he ought to see the full extent of humanity's cruelty before enslaving them. For some unknown reason he was tempted to do some research on Mel's past and see just how much she had been oppressed.

"Are you okay, Spook?" June asked, suddenly breaking him from his chain of thoughts. "You seem kind of lost in thought."

Gyendal nodded his head at the young magician. It appeared that he had gotten so caught up in his thoughts that he momentarily forgot where he was. There must have been something wrong with him. That was the only reasonable explanation he could come up with. It must have had something to do with human's having such a short term memory. Why else would he have forgotten about the others. Oddly enough, he had not forgotten that Mel existed. She seemed to be the only one who held any significance in his mind. He told himself that it was only because the Blood of Mordred Darkthrop flowed through her veins, but found himself doubting that for some reason.

Clearing his mind of all such thoughts for the time being, he returned his focus to the task on hand. They had just crossed the bridge over the lake of poison in the middle of the Stonetooth Cave System, and were about to enter the chamber where the guardian statue was located. The most powerful artifact in the world would soon be within his reach, and he knew that when that moment came, he would reveal himself. The only problem was that he wasn't certain if he was ready to reveal his true identity. He had a sinking feeling that Mel would turn on him the moment she found out.

Stepping into the chamber, everyone stopped, too afraid to move an inch closer to the stone lion. "Well, we have the mermaid's mirror," Mel stated. "Now what do we do, Spook?"

"Give it to me, and I'll show you," Gyendal replied.

Mel reached into her bag and pulled out the dainty looking, silver hand mirror, placing it into Gyendal's outstretched hand. No sooner had she done so, then he grabbed her by the waist with his other arm, pulling her close to him so that he could whisper in her ear. "You might want to stand back for this." And then, as if some invisible force had taken over him, he leaned in further and placed a kiss on her neck, allowing his unsharpened teeth to nibble on her skin for a few moments.

He had no idea why he had felt compelled to do that. He had seen his sister do the same thing to her husband once, and thought it was disgusting at the time, which only made him all the more confused. Why on earth was he following his sister's example? Why was he no longer repulsed by the romantic gesture? More importantly, why did he feel so aroused when Mel let out a small moan of pleasure.

When he suddenly realized that he was tempted to go further, he forced himself to pull away, releasing his grip on her, which in turn startled Mel. With the mirror in hand, he turned and strode over to the statue. He heard everyone gasp when he stopped directly in front of the lion, whose eyes immediately began to glow bright red. Despite this, there wasn't an ounce of fear to be found within him.

The moment that the lasers shot out towards him, he held up the mirror, causing the lasers to reflect, thus destroying the statue instead. When he looked back at the group, he found them all staring at him with wide eyes. He couldn't help but chuckle at the look on their faces. It wasn't like he had done anything that spectacular. He had accomplished much more impressive feats throughout his life. Anyone could have done what he just did.

Then all at once, the three girls came running toward him, shouting his praises. Mel even came up and gave him a hug, which was surprising, considering the fact that she usually hated hugs. Although, it might have simply been June's overly energetic hugs that she didn't like. Either way, it didn't matter. It seemed that Mel rather liked impressive displays of bravery. He made another mental note to remind himself of that in the future.

"Come on, everyone, let's go see what we can find!" Mel exclaimed, pulling away from Gyendal and hurrying past him through the passage. Yvette and June followed shortly after her.

Gyendal was about to join them, when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, urging him to stay. Craning his neck, he was surprised to see that it was the prince who had stopped him, and from the looks of his expression, he appeared to be rather annoyed. "What's wrong, _prince_?" Gyendal asked. "Was my little display of bravery not good enough for you?"

Edward scowled. "It would appear that you have done this before. I find that odd, considering the fact that you claimed they were extremely rare."

Gyendal gritted his teeth. So, the Pendragon Brat had caught on to that piece of information. He had a feeling that he should have kept that piece of information to himself. He realized that he was now going to have to come up with a believable excuse. The last thing he wanted was for the foolish prince to blow his cover.

"They're not quite as rare as I made them out to be," Gyendal lied. "I only said that to impress Mel."

This only seemed to anger the prince further. "Mel has been through a lot in her life, and as a result she doesn't open her heart easily to people. It took me months just to get her to agree to befriend me. However, she seems to have opened her heart to you rather quickly."

"Could it be that your jealous?" Gyendal asked with a slight smirk.

Edward shook his head. "I've only ever seen Mel as a friend, and that is exactly why I am worried about her. I don't know what exactly your intentions are towards Mel, but I fear that you might have ulterior motives. I am warning you right now that if you hurt her, I will end you."

Gyendal rolled his eyes. He felt like laughing in the boy's face. He wasn't afraid of the puny prince, especially not when his swordsmanship skills were concerned. There was no doubt in his mind that he could end the prince's life in the blink of an eye if he wanted to. However, he refrained from doing so for Mel's sake.

"You should focus less on Mel's life, and more on your own," Gyendal stated. "You might not have lost your kingdom if you had."

And with that, he went to rejoin the girls.


	4. Chapter 4

The sound of chatter filled the house, mixing with the eerie music that was being played in the background. Despite it being Mel's first party, she was actually enjoying herself, and from the looks of it, she was pretty sure that she could say the same about her friends. Each dressed in their own unique costume, they were busy mingling and dancing to their hearts content. Mel laughed as she saw Edward doing the chicken dance across the room. He was really getting into it.

You're probably wondering why the group was attending a party. Well, it just so happened that they encountered yet another roadblock. Through the passage that had been previously guarded by the stone lion, they found a four-inch thick door, made of solid steel. There was no way that they were going to get through it simply by banging their fists and blasting it with magic. They needed an acid strong enough to eat through it, and in order to get such an acid, they needed to return to Harakauna.

They had just finished up in Harakauna when they suddenly received a magical invitation to a Costume Party being thrown at Marcello and Gretchen's new house in Underfall. As much as Mel disliked the idea of going back to that creepy town, she couldn't deny that a party sounded like fun. Besides, it was hard to refuse such an invitation with Edward, June, and Yvette begging her like three adorable little puppies.

"Are you enjoying yourself so far, Mel?" Spook asked, coming up to her all of a sudden.

Mel nodded her head. "Yeah, I finally have an idea of what a party looks like in Ghed'ahre."

Spook gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"

Mel explained that her friend, Te'ijal, had always bragged about the fabulous parties they threw in the city of vampires. Marcello and Gretchen's party fit Te'ijal's description almost exactly. There were treat bowls filled with cut up finger bones and eyeballs, which honestly made her want to puke. There was a group of skeletons playing music. Carved Pumpkins were scattered all about, and there was even a gambling table in the corner, probably because Marcello loved to gamble. The only thing missing was the gigantic punch bowl filled with blood.

"I wasn't aware that you liked things that are dark and creepy," Spook stated.

Mel shrugged. "I know it's weird, but I've always found myself attracted to things that are dark and mysterious. Unfortunately, my fascination with such things has been known to get me into a lot of trouble."

"In what way?" Spook asked.

He seemed oddly intrigued by what she was saying. The reason she found it odd was because most people thought she was rather weird when they heard that. However, Spook didn't seem to think that way. Mel got the feeling that, unlike most others, he actually understood her. She felt like she could trust him enough to open up about one of her most shameful moments in life.

"A couple of years ago, back when I was still a thief, I was hired by a dark and mysterious client. A part of me was afraid of him, but a part of me was attracted to him. He asked me to complete a dangerous task for him," she began to explain. "You see, there was a haunted tower in my home town. It was so frightening that even I was terrified of it. He wanted me to retrieve a relic from inside it. I wanted to refuse him, but I couldn't."

"Why couldn't you?"

"To this day, I've never really understood. I always blamed myself, but I realize now that he could have compelled me or something with his powers," Mel continued. "Anyway, I ended up finding the relic that he wanted, which turned out to be much more powerful than I ever could have imagined. I discovered that he was actually a power-hungry vampire shortly after, and I've been on the run from him ever since."

Spook's eyes widened when he heard that. "Y-You were attracted to this Vampire? As in romantically?"

"I'm not entirely sure. It would be kinda twisted, considering he kidnapped me, and basically killed my best friend. I don't think I'd ever admit it, even if I was. I get the feeling he would just laugh at me. The only reason he wants me is because I'm the only one who can activate my ancestor's orbs."

He remained silent for a while. There was a slightly troubled look on his face, as he appeared to be taking in everything that she had said. She thought it strange that he was so affected by what she had said. Was he jealous? Perhaps she should have kept her mouth shut after all. Yet, at the same time, it had felt good to finally confide in someone about it.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

All of a sudden he looked up at her, looking as if he had just come out of a trance. "Yeah, I'm just surprised," he said. "Excuse me, but It's getting a bit hot in here. I think I need some air."

Mel felt like kicking herself. She should have known that he would run away, just like everyone else.

* * *

Gyendal rushed out of the house as fast as he could, the thoughts in his mind swirling out of control. His emotions were so scattered that he couldn't even figure out what exactly he was feeling. The only thing he knew was that he needed to go somewhere quiet so that he could sort everything out. No sooner was he out, then he started towards the town square.

As he had expected, the town square was completely deserted, without a Darkling to be found. Most Darklings were either sleeping or busy partying at Marcello and Gretchen's. He was just fine with this, seeing as he was clearly not in the mood to be troubled by the pranks of the mischievous little Darklings.

Taking a seat on one of the stone benches, and cradled his head in his hands, feeling as though the weight of the world was crushing his brain. He had never felt the way he did at that very moment. He was shocked, conflicted, and confused all at the same time, but his shock greatly outweighed the other two emotions.

A part of him had always wondered what went through Mel's mind on the night she stole the Orb of Darkness for him, but he hadn't been expecting the response he had gotten. Yes, he had expected her to be afraid of him. All humans were. However, he hadn't expected her to be attracted to him. Never in a million years would he have expected her to be drawn to him.

Although, now that he thought of it, it actually made sense. It seemed to be a trait that came with being a Darkthrop. He had read Mordred's journals, as well as his son's. They had both mentioned having a similar characteristic. The only difference was that Mordred had fully embraced it, and Tunsten had completely rejected it. Mel appeared to be rather conflicted. A part of her wanted to embrace it, but a part of her also wanted to reject it. At least that was what he assumed.

She also seemed to be convinced that Gyendal had compelled her to do his bidding. While it was true that Vampires did have the ability to compel humans, he knew for a fact that he hadn't used any compulsion on her. She had acted completely of her own free will. For some reason that did not make him feel any better.

Not only did Mel have feelings for him as Spook, but now he learned that she might also have feelings for his real self. She was right. He probably would have laughed at her, had he known that a few months ago. However, after everything that had happened, he found himself unable to laugh at the idea of her being attracted to him because he understood it. As much as it pained him to admit it, he couldn't deny that he had grown attracted to her as well. He was falling for her. How was it even possible? Why did it have to be now, and with the very woman whose life he had once tried to destroy?

"About time you realized it," he heard a strangely familiar voice all of a sudden.

He looked up and there stood the very same girl he had encountered in the forest. It was the girl who had advised him to change his strategy to begin with. She hadn't changed a bit. She still looked oddly familiar to him, and glowed as if she was a ghost, which she was clearly not, seeing as he couldn't see right through her.

"You!" Gyendal roared, getting to his feet. "You knew this would happen!"

Nox snickered. "Why do you think I told you to change your ways? I needed to push the two of you together somehow."

"Why?! Who are you?"

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out."

The strange girl gave Gyendal a wink before she disappeared into thin air again, leaving him even more confused than before. What on earth was he supposed to do now? Did he still want to go through with his plan of luring Mel into fulfilling her destiny? He honestly didn't even know the answer to that question anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

So, I guess I should point out that the story won't be going exactly the same way as the game. Some of you might have already figured that out though. I also want to apologize if the characters seem a bit OOC. I struggled with Mel's character a bit.

* * *

An uneasy feeling washed over Mel the moment she laid eyes on the Orb of Death. It was by far the most powerful orb that her ancestor had ever created, and that was exactly why she had come all the way to Eldrion to find it. She had to destroy it, otherwise someone else might try to use it. The Orb of Life had given Stella her life back, and turned Te'ijal, Galahad, and Gyendal human again, so she imagined that the Orb of Death would do the opposite and steal lives. She wasn't about to let anyone else die because of this quest.

"It's about time we found it," Mel muttered, taking a deep breath.

She looked at the group of friends that surrounded her. They had come a long way together. She honestly didn't know what she would have done without them all. Although she liked to think that she was capable of taking care of herself, she had to admit that she was lucky to have them. They were like the family she never had. She only wished that Te'ijal and Galahad could have been there with the rest of the group to witness it.

"This is our reward?" Yvette asked, clearly disappointed. "It's just a stupid crystal."

"That stupid crystal has the power to kill people!" Mel snapped, shutting Yvette up for the moment.

With a big, deep breath, Mel gathered her confidence and finally stepped forward. Carefully she lifted the dark orb from it's stand, and just like all the other orbs, it began to glow as soon as she touched it. The orb was warm, and despite the fact that the air in the cavern was freezing cold, it began to flood her with warmth. The orbs all felt so familiar to her. It was almost as if they recognized her as their master. The thought disgusted her. She didn't want to be their master. She didn't want anything to do with them.

"Mel, you don't have to destroy it," Spook spoke up, coming up beside her. "You could hand it over to the Oracle and let her decide what to do with it, or just hide it somewhere else."

Mel was surprised to hear him talking to her. The two of them hadn't really spoken much since the party in Underfall. She never knew what to say to him, and he didn't seem to know what to say to her either. Regardless, she considered his ideas for a moment. The Oracle would probably be able to keep it safe, and out of the clutches of evil, seeing as no one with bad intentions was able to enter. However, hiding it somewhere else was not a good idea. It was too risky.

She shook her head. "No, the Oracle would want me to destroy it."

Without further hesitation, she slowly raised the orb above her head and threw it to the ground. For a brief moment, Mel was convinced that her problems with the orb were all over, but then something strange happened. The orb suddenly stopped in midair, just inches from the ground and flew to her right. Confused as to what was going on, she turned around and saw that it had flown straight into Spooks hands.

"What the..." Mel began to say.

"I'm sorry, Mel, but I can't let you destroy it," Spook said.

Spook's appearance suddenly began to change as an eerie looking black fog enveloped him, concealing him for a few moments. When the fog cleared away Mel found that it wasn't the Shaggy Haired Thief that she had thought she knew. Standing in his place, with the Orb of Death still clutched tightly in his hand, was none other than the ex-vampire mage, Gyendal Ravenfoot.

It didn't take Mel long to figure out what was going on. Spook had been nothing but a disguise. It had been Gyendal all along. Her whole body went stiff as she realized that she had unintentionally told Gyendal all of her deepest and darkest secrets. Not only had she told him to his face that she might be attracted to him, but she had kissed him!

She clenched her fists. He had been deceived her all along. She was sure of it. The fact that he had stolen the orb from her was all the proof she needed. All he wanted was to use her to take over the world. It was likely that every affectionate word and gesture had been a lie. It was nothing more than an act.

"Gyendal!" Edward yelled, drawing his sword and charging toward the mage. "I should have known it was you!"

With a flick of his hand, Gyendal cast a barrier around himself and Mel, preventing Edward, or anyone else, from reaching them. Edward tried to break through, striking the barrier with his sword and even tried body slamming himself into it, but nothing it worked. In the end, he ended up face flat on the ground. Mel was just about to pull out her own weapon when suddenly reached out and grabbed her by the wrist.

"I have no desire to fight you, Mel," he said, his voice sounding surprisingly calm. "I only want for you to join me."

"Why should I believe you? You've done nothing but lie and manipulate me! You pretended to like me, hoping that by doing so, I would follow you like some lost kitten!" Mel exclaimed. "I would rather die than go with you."

A dark look washed over his face, making him look even more intimidating than usual. "I was hoping that I wouldn't have to resort to this, but it seems you've left me no choice."

By now Edward had gotten to his feet, but it probably would have been best if he had just stayed on the floor, for soon enough he found himself being blasted into the cavern wall. Blood spurting out of his mouth as he yelped in pain.

"Edward!" Mel screamed. She tried to go to her friend, but was unable to escape from the barrier.

"This doesn't have to end in death, Mel. I am willing to spare his life, as well as the lives of your other friends, but only if you give yourself over to me," Gyendal declared.

Mel could feel the anger within her rising at an alarming rate. She was so angry, yet she was conflicted at the same time. As much as she wanted to hate Gyendal for tricking her, she found that she was unable to. She wanted to believe that he hadn't been lying about everything. It was probably foolish of her, but she wanted to cling to the idea that maybe he did like her after all. After all, he hadn't stated otherwise.

Her whole body began to tremble as hot tears began to stream down her face. This was probably one of the first times in her life that Mel had cried, especially in front of others. She knew that she needed to calm down and make her decision, but at that moment, she felt as though she was unable to. Her emotions were just spiraling out of control.

Then, all of a sudden, she began to feel gradually stronger, and more powerful. It was truly bizarre. She couldn't explain it. It felt as though a spark had suddenly ignited deep within her. Before she knew what was going on, a blast of magic ripped out of her hands and broke the barrier.

"W-What just happened?" Mel asked herself, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

"You have magic!" June exclaimed a bit too happily for the situation.

Mel stared at her own two hands. How was it possible? She had never had magic before. Why had it only appeared now? "N-No, you're wrong! I-I't can't be me."

With the barrier now broken, Yvette tried to take a step towards her, but as she did, Mel reached out her hand to warn her to stay away. Much to her horror, a fire ball came out of her hand as she did so. Yvette had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. It was at that exact moment that it fully dawned on Mel that it was true. She had magic.

"Stay away from me, all of you!" she exclaimed, slowly backing away.

She looked over at Gyendal, expecting him to be pleased by the sudden turn of events, but was surprised to find that was not at all the case. Mel wasn't quite sure if it was just her imagination, but she thought she saw something in his expression that she had never seen before; guilt.

What happened next shocked her more than anything else. Gyendal actually let the orb fall out of his hands shatter into a hundred tiny pieces, the power within it vanishing into a puff of smoke. Everyone gasped, their eyes wide with disbelief. No one could believe what they were witnessing. Had Gyendal finally given up on trying to use the orbs? It sure seemed that way.

"Why did you ..."

Mel began to speak, but was cut off as Gyendal suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders, claiming her lips in a quick, yet heated kiss. She let out a small startled yelp, surprised by the sudden gesture. However, no sooner had he pulled away, then he turned and summoned a portal.

He started towards it, but stopped, and glanced back at Mel one last time. "I wasn't always pretending." Then he was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Mel slowly sunk to her knees, overwhelmed by the shock of what had just happened. A part of her wanted to think that it had all been nothing but a dream, but the evidence surrounding her proved otherwise. Edward's body laid on the ground, badly wounded, but still alive and breathing. Ulf and June were crouched down on both sides of him, trying to help him as best they could. Ulf was technically an Alchemist in Training, so he happened to have a few healing remedies in his bag.

Mel saw him look over at her, the concern clear to see in his warm brown eyes. If the situation hadn't been so serious, she might have laughed. Leave it to Edward to be concerned about her when he himself was hurting. Most people considered selflessness to be a good trait, but in Mel's mind it meant that you were more at risk of being killed. That likely stemmed from Mel's upbringing on the streets of Harburg.

Her focus then shifted towards the broken pieces of glass that were scattered across the cavern floor. Gyendal had destroyed the orb of his own free will. She never thought she would see the day that Gyendal would give up on trying to steal the power of the orbs. Although she wasn't sure if he had entirely given up on his plot, but she didn't care about that at the moment.

Not only had he destroyed the orb, but he had also kissed her, basically claiming that he hadn't been pretending to like her. At least, that was what she thought he meant. It was kind of confusing to be honest. However, she believed that he meant it, even if he did have a strange way of proving it to her. He had kissed her, not while he was disguised as Spook, but in his true form. As unlikely as it was, all the signs pointed to the conclusion that he was attracted to her as well.

"I think we should get Edward to a Healer," Ulf stated. "He's pretty beaten up from the blast, and starting to cough up Blood."

Hearing that, Mel directed her attention back towards Edward. Much to her horror, she found that Ulf was right. He was hacking up blood rather violently. Gyendal hadn't killed him, but he had left his life dangling by a thread. "Go on without me," Mel insisted. "I'll catch up."

For a moment, it looked like they were going to protest, but they must have changed their minds, because they nodded their heads in understanding and went on their way, carrying Edward between the three of them. As soon as they were out of sight, and she could no longer hear the echo of their footstep, Mel slowly got to her feet.

She never wanted magic. At one point she had thought that it might have made her life easier, but that was when she was a child, trying to survive on her own. Now, after seeing how much damage could be caused by it, she wanted nothing more than to get rid of it. Sure, she might have been able to break through Gyendal's barrier, but she also nearly succeeded in burning Yvette.

"Gyendal's feelings for you must be stronger than I thought," Nox said, as she suddenly appeared before Mel. "I definitely didn't expect him to destroy the Orb for you. Such a shame."

"I suppose you wanted him to use it to take over the world," Mel concluded.

"It doesn't really matter to me," Nox said with a shrug. "Either way, the Darkthrop Prophecy will be fulfilled."

This confused Mel. "What are you talking about? The Orb of Death is destroyed. There's no way for the prophecy to be fulfilled now."

Nox laughed, a strangely familiar looking smug grin emerging across her face. "It is true that the Orb of Death would have helped you fulfill your destiny, but the prophecy doesn't depend entirely on it. There is still a way for it to be fulfilled, and no one can stop it."

Then, before Mel could say another word, Nox disappeared.

Mel clenched her fists. Would she ever be rid of the Darkthrop Curse? It seemed to follow her everywhere she went, hurting those she cared about. As her anger and frustration grew, she felt her newly discovered magic rise again, but this time, she willingly let it out, blasting one of the walls of the cavern with it.

In that moment, as she stood, staring at the deep dent she had just made in the stone wall, she made a decision. She would go far away, to a place where none of her friends would ever find her. The thought of never seeing Stella and Edward again pained her, but she knew that she had to. It was the only way to protect them from herself and all the danger that came with.

"I'm sorry, everyone," she whispered, and with that she went on her way.


End file.
